They’ve gone over budget and were sued, but Michigan's redistricting commissioners give themselves a raise anyway

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which faces a $1.2 million shortfall and multiple lawsuits, decided it was time to give its 13 members a 7% pay hike, even as their work diminishes.

Commissioners, who were previously rebuffed for allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act, voted 8-3 to boost their pay to nearly $60,000, a roughly $3,900 increase, the Associated Press reports.

That’s far more than the statutorily required minimum salary of $39,825.

The commission approved controversial new district maps for Congress and the state Senate and House in December.

In a lawsuit, Black leaders accused commissioners of violating the Voting Rights Act after they eradicated every predominantly Black district. Several Michigan Republicans also filed a lawsuit against the commission, arguing that the new maps are “non-neutral,” “arbitrary,” and disregard community boundaries.

Conversely, some Democrats accused the commission of giving the advantage to Republicans.

The 13-member panel is made up of four Democrats, four Republicans, and five politically unaffiliated members. Even though they have finished the work they were tasked with completing — redrawing districts — all four Democrats and four of the five politically unaffiliated members voted in support of the salary increase.

Some of the commissioners say they don’t have another job and rely solely on their tax-funded salary to get by. Opponents pointed out that their main job is done, and they don’t deserve a pay hike.

Commission Chair Rebecca Szetela, who said she supported the salary increase because of inflation, said the commission may later take a pay cut as “we enter into more of a latency phase.”

The panel is required to continue working until the legal challenges are over, but its work is virtually finished.

“We're trying to be fiscally responsible and be good stewards of the public's money,” Szetela insisted.

FAIR Maps, a conservative group that has opposed the commission, called for the eight commissioners to resign.

“Sadly, as we’ve repeatedly seen from this body, they’re accountable to no one, incapable of shame or even basic levels of competence, and now gleefully padding their bank accounts at the expense of Michigan taxpayers,” executive director Tony Daunt said. "This is an outrageous development and I encourage Michiganders of all stripes to speak up and demand a reversal of this action.”

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